Concentrator



A. R. MACKIE.

CONCENTRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 1uLY 1o. 1919.

mm. E @n lo S,

By n

@m TTH/VEYS i ALFRED R. MACKIE, or. LANDER, WYOMING.

PATENT N oFFlcs.

CONCENTRATOB..

Application filed July 10,k 1919. Serial No. 309,804.-

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED R. MACKIE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Lander, in the county of Fremont and State of Wyoming, have mventedanew and Improved Concentrator, of which the following isla full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in concentrators, and, more particularly, t0 a eoncentrator suchas emplo ed in the concentrating of placerl gold an the llke. 0

One of the objects of this invention 1s to provide a concentrator having an improved construction and arrangement of traveling rifile or riffles, which can be set at'diferent angles, relative to lthe concentrating surface, to control tc a certain extent the flow of water to prevent the cloggingof the concentrating surface by an over-accumulation of gangue at any spot thereon.

A further object is to provide an improved series of sluice boxes arranged in series and providing in each a concentrating surface therefor, rifIies and the screen thereover, whereby a maximum of efficiency is obtained in the concentration of--the ore. j

A further object is to provide an improved means for simultaneously causing a movement of all of the riiiles in the series of boxes and permitting an adjustment of the riles, relative to the concentrated surfaces, to suit conditions and give best result@ A With these and other objects in view, ythe invention consists in certain novel features of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts, as willbe more fully hereinafter described and pointed'out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved concentrator with the upper screens broken away to illustrate parts below;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section on the line 1 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view on an enlarged scale, showing the riiiie in elevation with its attaching coupling at one end in section, and its attaching coupling at the other end in elevation; j

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view, showing a riffle and portions of the two chains to which it is connected;

lfig. 7 is an inner face view of one ofthe rifile attaching couplings and connected chain links. 7

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1, 2 and 3 represent sluice boxes arranged at different elevations and discharging one into the other, as is customary the art. The boxes 1, 2 and 3 are preferably arranged at different inclines so that the speed of the Water is slightly different in the different boxes because ofthe difference in inclination. A sluice 4 directs the gangue into the first box 1, and it is carried by the force of water through the several boxes in the ordinary Way.

Each of the sluice boxes 1, 2 and 3 is provided on its bottom with a concentrating surface 5, the same beinfr preferably formed by superimposed layers of coco mat 6 and carpet 7 with an anchored gratingS on top of the mat, secured or held in any suitable Speeicationof Letters'lPatent. Patented Julie 22, 1920.

mannerto hold the concentratincr surface in j the box. Screens 9. are provided in the upper portions of the boxes to exclude the larger particles of worthless material, and these screens 9 are supported on baffle plates 10 iixedto the sides of the box andserving to protect the improved riiiie carrying chains l1, as will more fully hereinafter appear. Y v y In each of the boxes 1, 2 ,and 3 a pair of endless sprocket chains 11 are located. These chains are adjacent the inner faces of the sides of the boxes and are mounted on sprocket wheels 12 secured to shafts 13 and 14, located in the respective end portions of the boxes and projecting through ythe sides of the boxes. The shafts 13 and 1li are sup- -ported in bearingsl and 16, respectively,

against the outer faces of the sides of the boxes, and said bearings are adjustable vertically by means of set screws 17 to vary the position of the chains vertically. The bear ing 1G of the shafts 1/1 are valso adjustable longitudinally by means of set screws 18 to take up slack in the chains 13 and 14. In order that the shafts 13 and 14 may have the desired movement, the sides of the sluice boxes are made with relatively large openings 19, through which the shafts project, and covering plates 2O are held against the outer faces of the boxes to close saidfopenings. These covering plates also serve as abutments for the adjusting screens 17 and 18, and fixed brackets 21 arelocated on the boxes and support the screws.

T he chains 1l at regular intervals are provided with coupling members 22, illustrated most clearly in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. These coupling members 22 support the ritiies v23 in such a manner as to permit an angular adjustment of each riffle.

rllhe inner faces of all of the couplings 22 are formed with a plurality of grooves 28 and 29, located at an angle to each other, and in any of which the riii'le may be held. llach coupling 22 has an extension 2li, having an opening 25 therein to receive a trunnion 26 in the end oi the riiiie, and Cotter pins or other securing devices 27 project through the perforated ends of the trunnions and secure the riflle 23 in one of the grooves 2S ol 29.

To permit an angular adjustment of the riilie, it is simply necessary to remove the cotter pins 2i' and spring the chains laterally far enough to allow the ends of the rii'l'le to move from one groove-into the other.

To protect the lower runs of the endless chains of the rii'i'les, inclined baii'led plates 30 are locate( secured to the inner faces of the sluice boxes and projecting downwardly at an incline over the lower runs of the chains 11.

rl'he shafts 12 of the boxes 1, and 3, are provided at one end with worm gears 3l meshing with worms 32 on vertical shafts 33. rllhese shafts 33 have suitable bearings Se, and they are all provided at their lower ends with worm gears meshingl vwith worms 3G on the drive shaft 37, driven by drive pulley 3S or other suitable means. rlie receptacle is located at the discharge end of box 3 and receives the discharge from the eoncentrator.

The operation is follows: The gangue is discharged from sluice onto the screen 9 in the upper portion of box 1, and the larger particles of worthless material are directed along the screen 9 on to the screens 9 of the other boxes 2 and 3, and thence into receptacle 39 without entering the lower portions of the boxes at all. Such portions of the material as can filter through the screen 9 fall downwardly upon the concentrating surface in the bottom of the box and move along the same to the discharge end, and thence into boxes 2 and 3, resi ectively, where the same operation is carried out. ln each of the boxes 1, 2 and 3, the riii'les 22 retard the flow of water and material and can be setiat different angles, as above explained, to further facilitate this function.

All of the traveling rililes are moved simultaneously by means of the gearing above described, and are driven at any desired speed to give the desired results. By reason of the fact that the riil'les are secured to endless chains, upper and lower runs of riflles are provided in each box which increase the efiiciency of the apparatus to that extent,

and also insure a thorough retardation of the precious metals and a separati-on therefrom of the lighter materials by reason of the fact that the upper run of riiiles is moving in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the lower run of riilies on the same pair of chains.

Thilo I have illustrated and described what 1 believe to be a preferred form of my invention, I would have it understood that various changes might be made inthe general: iiorm and arrangement` of the parts describedV without departing from` the spirit d scope of the appended claims.

1 claim:`

l. A concentrator comprising a box, having a concentrating surface in the bottom tl'iereof, endless chains inthe bomcouplings on the cha-ins,.rillles secured: to the lcouplings and connecting the chains, said couplings having-ai plurality of grooves inl their inner faces at an angle to eachother for the reception of Athe.,ends;of the ritlies, devices securing the iiiiiics in certain of said. grooves, and means for causing the movement of the said chainsito move the'riliies in the box.

2. fr eoncentrat-or comprising a box, a concent-rating surface in the bottom of the box, endless chainssupported inthe box, couplings secured to the chains and having perforated; entensionsy thereon, bailes having trunnions at their ends positioned in the perforations of the extensions, and said couplings having a plurality of grooves in their inner faces adapted to receive the ends of the rifiies in any of said grooves, and` means .for securing the trunnions in the extensions.

A .concentrator comprising a box, having a concentrating surface in its bottom, shafts extending through the sides of the box adjacent its ends, sprocket wheels on the shaft in the box, a pair of endless s rocket chains connecting the sprocket whee s, said chains positioned horizontally, baille plates secured to the inner faces of the box and projecting over the upper .and lower runs of the chains, riflles connecting the chains, and means for causing the turning movement of one of; said shafts.

4l.. A concentrator comprising a box, having a concentrating surface in the bottom thereof, a traveling rilile in the box above the concentrating surface, inclined baille plates secured tothe inner face ofthe sides of the box and proj ectingA downwardly, and a screen located on the baiile platesv 5. A concentrator.comprising a. box, having a concentrating mat upon` its lower face, an anchored grating located on ,the mat, a screen in the upper portion -of the box, and a traveling riiile in the box between the screen and the anchored grating.

ALFRED R. MACKIE. 

